Gigler, Bjorn-Soren2014-07-222014-07-222011-03https://hdl.handle.net/10986/19011Under what conditions can information and communications technologies (ICTs) enhance the well-being of poor communities? The paper designs an alternative evaluation framework (AEF) that applies Sen's capability approach to the study of ICTs in order to place people's well-being, rather than technology at the center of the study. The AEF develops an impact chain that examines the mechanisms by which access to, and meaningful use of, ICTs can enhance peoples, 'informational capabilities' and can lead to improvements in people's human and social capabilities. This approach thus uses peoples human capabilities, rather than measures of access or usage, as its principal evaluative space. Based on empirical evidence from rural communities uses of ICTs in Bolivia, the study concludes that enhancing people's informational capabilities is the most critical factor determining the impact of ICTs on their well-being. The findings indicate that improved informational capabilities, like literacy, do enhance the human capabilities of the poor and marginalized to make strategic life choices to achieve the lifestyle they value. Evaluating the impact of ICTs in terms of capabilities thus reveals that there is no direct relationship between improved access to, and use of, ICTs and enhanced well-being; ICTs lead to improvements in people's lives only when informational capabilities are transformed into expanded human and social capabilities in the economic, political, social, organizational and cultural dimensions of their lives.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS POINTACCESS TO INFORMATIONACCESS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIESACCESS TO INTERNETACCESS TO RESOURCESARRANGEMENTSARTICLEBASICBIBLIOGRAPHYCAPABILITIESCAPABILITYCAPACITY-BUILDINGCITIESCIVIC ENGAGEMENTCLASSIFICATIONCOMMODITIESCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIESCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGYCOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIESCOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGYCOMMUNITIESCOMPETITIVENESSCOMPONENTSCOMPUTER GRAPHICSCOMPUTER HARDWARECOMPUTER LITERACYCOMPUTER-BASED INFORMATIONCOMPUTERSCONNECTIVITYCONTENT DEVELOPMENTDECISION-MAKINGDIGITALDIGITAL AGEDIGITAL DIVIDEDIGITAL OPPORTUNITYE-DEVELOPMENTE-GOVERNANCEE-GOVERNMENTE-LEARNINGE-MAILE-READINESSECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTECONOMICSEGOVERNMENTELECTRICITYELECTRONIC INFORMATIONENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLSFLOW OF INFORMATIONGLOBAL INFORMATION SOCIETYGRAPHICSHUMAN CAPITALICTIDSIMPACT ASSESSMENTINDICESINFORMATICSINFORMATION ACCESSINFORMATION ACCESSIBILITYINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIESINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGYINFORMATION COMMUNICATIONINFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIESINFORMATION COMMUNICATIONSINFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGYINFORMATION CULTUREINFORMATION ECONOMICSINFORMATION FLOWSINFORMATION GAPSINFORMATION LITERACYINFORMATION MANAGEMENTINFORMATION NEEDSINFORMATION SCIENCEINFORMATION SERVICESINFORMATION SHARINGINFORMATION SYSTEMINFORMATION SYSTEMSINFORMATION TECHNOLOGIESINFORMATION TECHNOLOGYINNOVATIONINSTITUTIONINTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONINTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONSINTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONINTERNET ACCESSINTERNET CONNECTIVITYINTERNET CONTENTINTERNET USEKNOWINGKNOWLEDGE ECONOMIESKNOWLEDGE FOR DEVELOPMENTKNOWLEDGE SOCIETIESLITERACY RATESLOCAL KNOWLEDGEMARKET INFORMATIONMARKET PRICEMARKET PRICESMATERIALMEDICINEMULTIMEDIANATURAL RESOURCENETWORKINGNETWORKSNEW TECHNOLOGIESNEWSLETTERPOLICY FRAMEWORKPOLITICAL ISSUESPOLITICAL PARTICIPATIONPRICE INFORMATIONPROGRAMSPUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONPUBLISHINGRADIOREADINGREALISMREPAIRRESEARCH LIBRARIESRESULTRESULTSRURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONSSANSERVICE DELIVERYSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTTECHNICAL SUPPORTTELECENTERSTELECENTRESTELECOMMUNICATIONTELECOMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENTTELECOMMUNICATION POLICYTELECOMMUNICATIONSTELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICYTRAINING ACTIVITIESTRAINING PROGRAMSTRANSACTIONUNIVERSAL ACCESSUSE OF INFORMATIONUSERSUSESWEBSITEWEBSITESWHITE PAPER10.1596/19011